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Fundraising ideas

We’ve got the best fundraising ideas for good causes of all shapes and sizes! Check out our curated lists or browse all fundraising ideas below by cost, effort, and impact.

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All fundraising ideas

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Spring cleaning

Rally volunteers together for a spring cleaning of your community space or a street in your neighborhood. Reach out to local businesses to sponsor the event and offer supplies. Then, invite donations from your local community with scan-to-donate signage as you work!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Hot chocolate stall

Set up a hot chocolate or coffee stand and sell hot drinks to warm up your community! Have coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and plenty of syrups and toppings that they can add for an extra fee. Don’t forget marshmallows!

Make it easy for supporters to pay for their drinks as you make them with scan-to-donate, Venmo, and other seamless payment options.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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Family photo day

Partner with a local photographer and charge a fee for photo packages with themed backdrops or props. Create custom tickets with time slots for families to sign up to keep the day moving smoothly. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Talent show

Stage a talent show and invite members to take to the stage to show off their skills. Sell tickets, drinks, and snacks to raise money.

Make the whole experience feel even more interactive with text-to-donate. Invite audience members to vote from their seats and raise money for your cause at the same time.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Yard sale

Turn old treasures into fresh new funds for your good cause! Ask community members to host individual yard sales and donate their proceeds to your campaign. Or, host one large community yard sale using donated goods.

Create a fundraising page for your yard sale, use campaign updates to keep your community engaged, and update the fundraising total to reflect how much you’ve raised.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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Street food stand

Bring in donations with the sizzling smells and sweet treats from a street food stand.  

Partner with a local restaurant or food truck, or set up your own stall for the day. Want to strike up a relationship with a local restaurant? Use our sponsorship proposal guide to get started! 
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Thrifty fashion show

Host a fashion show featuring only second-hand clothes, which will then be on sale after the show! Charge an entrance fee, sell food and drinks, and remember to send a big thank you to everyone when your fundraising event is all over. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Student art auction

Auction off students' art projects online, in-person, or both! Add photos and descriptions for each masterpiece using easy auction software.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Street painting competition

Choose a theme and get permission to secure a paved area where your supporters can register to paint their own parking space or designated square.

Ask a local business to donate painting supplies, and then invite the community to vote for the best-painted square by making a donation ($1 = 1 vote) with an easy scan-to-donate QR code.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Oktoberfest

Take inspiration from the popular German event and host your own Oktoberfest with carnival games, a haunted house, and plenty of beer and non-alcoholic drinks.

This fall festival idea is a great way to raise funds for your cause and give your supporters an exciting day out.

Cost:
3
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/oktoberfest
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Holiday movie marathon

Create a lineup of classic holiday movies for a community movie marathon. Sell tickets, popcorn, hot chocolate, and other treats to create a delightful (and profitable!) experience. 

With user-friendly fundraising event features for online ticket sales and in-person donations, organizing this event can be as easy as hitting play on your favorite festive film.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Envelope fundraiser

Leave stacks of branded envelopes in various places around your community or grounds. Invite supporters to pick up an envelope, insert a donation, and leave it at a designated drop-off point. 

Spread the word with easy email marketing software. Share the details of your campaign and send reminders as the deadline gets closer. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Grow-your-own garden kit

Ask local nurseries to donate herbs, seeds, and soil you can use to assemble gardening kits. Bring volunteers together to assemble everything and sell them on a custom fundraising page or donation form.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Raffle

Ask your sponsors and community members to donate items or experiences, then raffle them off! The sky is the limit when it comes to raffle ticket prizes : gift baskets, movie tickets, artwork—anything that will appeal to your community members.

Just be sure to check your state laws regarding raffles before you start planning!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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Candy grams

Buy some crowd-favorite candies and charge supporters to send these sweet treats to a chosen recipient along with a heartfelt note. To streamline the process, have donors fill out custom fields on your donation form with their personal notes and recipient addresses.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/candy-grams
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Summer project sale

Host a yard sale themed around helping people finish those summer projects they've been meaning to tackle. Have stalls that cater to a range of DIY projects with materials like paint, furniture, craft supplies, scrapbooking materials, and more.

Use email marketing software to spread the word about the upcoming sale and share a printable map, so attendees know what kinds of booths will be there.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/summer-project-sale
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Fashion show

Host a fashion show that showcases talented local designers, fashion students, or both! Make it inclusive and invite people of all sizes and abilities to be your models.

At this fundraising event, you can bring in donations by charging entrance fees, selling food and drinks, and adding a silent auction.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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Corporate matching gift drive

Create a special awareness campaign and fundraiser that highlights the matching donation programs that many companies offer. 

Feature matching gifts on your fundraising page and encourage corporate staffers to explore employer matching via Double the Donation
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Inspiration
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Donation forms
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Fundraising page

Flamingoed

Invite supporters to make a donation to have lawn flamingos placed on their friends’ yards. Volunteers will sneak them onto recipients’ lawns so they awake to a pink surprise!

To make pulling off this silly fundraiser a breeze, create custom fields on your donation form, like the address of the Flamingo recipient.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Special series

Create programming for a special series of sermons designed to help raise money for your current fundraising project.

Tie sermons directly to your goal and reach more supporters by livestreaming right from your fundraising page. Anyone can tune into the stream, make a donation, and learn about your campaign all in one place.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/special-series
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Fundraising page
Events

Comedy roast

Invite participants to roast their teachers or coaches—in a light-hearted way. Sell tickets online and check-in attendees as they arrive, in addition to offering in-person donations for entry (and snacks!) with Venmo and scan-to-donate. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/comedy-roast
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Virtual concert

Ask local musicians or bands to perform for a livestreaming audience and invite viewers to make donations or purchase tickets to attend virtually right on your event page.

Make sure to feature a donation thermometer on your page to encourage viewers to make extra donations and get you closer to your goal as they enjoy the music.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/virtual-concert
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Grown-up bake sale

Sell donated or homemade gourmet goodies like croissants and macarons for the ultimate grownups-with-a-sweet-tooth fundraiser. 

Collect in-person payments with scan-to-donate, which gives donors a wide range of payment options.  
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Inspiration
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Events

More money, no problems

Instead of hosting an event, ask your supporters to donate a specific amount for the entire year. Create a fundraising page with photos, videos, and a compelling story in order to encourage gifts. Be sure to customize your donation amounts and add descriptions that are specific to your needs and impact.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Inspiration
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/more-money-no-problems
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